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Most of tliese were contacts seen about 10 days after notification
of the primary case, for tlie purpose of giving certificates to
enable pupils to return to County Council Schools. (N.B.—No
children were allowed to resume school from infected houses
until they were certified free from infection after bacteriological
examination). Others were examined with the object of finding
possible sources of infection, e.g., where the first case notified in
a house was a child not attending school.
Of the 240, 180 had no noteworthy abnormal symptoms, while
60 had symptoms, viz.—4 had tonsillitis, 2 congestion or exudation
of fauces, 1 ulcer on uvula, 2 clinical diphtheria, 1 otorrhoea, 3
enlarged cervical glands, and 47 some form of rhinitis. Of the
60 cases which had symptoms 19 or 32 per cent, were positive,
while of the 180 cases with no noteworthy symptoms, only 31 or
17 per cent, gave positive results.
Of 13 cases with purulent discharge, encrustation and soreness
of the nostrils, 6 gave a positive result, 3 shewed Hoffman's
bacillus, and 4 were negative.
Hoffman's bacillus was found in 9, or 15 per cent, of cases with
symptoms, and in 24 or 14 per cent, of cases with no symptoms.
Enteric Fever.
59. There were 29 cases of Enteric Fever, not including 11
cases of mistaken diagnosis, notified as enteric. The case-rate
was 0'23 compared with 0.34, 0.19 and 0.17 in three preceding
years ; for the third year in succession the rate recorded
in the Borough was lower than any before 1904. For the ten
years 1892-1901, the rate never fell below 0'41. The case-rate in
London was 0.34. Out of 41 cases notified, 28 went to hospital.
60. There were eight deaths, giving a death-rate of 0.06,
which is slightly higher than in the two preceding years, but
much below the average of the past ten years. The death-rate
in London was 0.05 and in the 76 great towns 0.09.